The Communion of Saints: One Body, Many Parts, Yet One Head

The text which engages our hearts and our lives this day is taken from that epistle lesson: Paul's letter to the Corinthians verses 12 and 13 of chapter 12. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts. And though all of its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were baptized by one Spirit into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were given the one Spirit to drink." This is our text. Well, greetings to you from the saints of God in Christ at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stevens Point. It's a pleasure to be with you here this morning. Well, the 21st century brings with it a number of things, and I know we're a couple decades in, but I think about "I." I- everything. In early 2000s, there were iPods. How many of you remember, even owned one? All right. They were out there, they were out there, iPods, now we have iPads, iPhones, we have iCloud, i-Passes for your car. Even the Nintendo Wii is spelled with two i-s. There's no getting around it, in this culture of I, a lot of I-talk exists, for we are a people shaped by the culture of "Me, Myself and I." Yeah, there's no "I" in team, but there is a "me." And so, when we think about movies that accentuate this self-concept - certainly, you can think of a few. Jerry Maguire. "Show me the money." As we think about our lives in an age of rugged individualism: privatized spirituality. The question before us today that Paul brings is what does it mean to be the church? What does it mean to be part of a body? When Paul captured the image of a body and used the two. Flush out, what does it look like to be a part of Christ's body, where He is the head? For not only in Paul's day were they divided. Yes, in our day as well. You can think of things that divide us - not just across party lines in the aisle. Yeah, sure, politics divide us. Yes, sure, we think about the things in our lives that we, we have different allegiances and things we support. We're divided in many ways. There's been a breakdown of our families, in our traditional families. What's the blame? Is it technology? Is it politics? Is it social media and going your own way? What is it that truly divide us? Well, for that answer, we turn to God's word, and it's the word of law that tells us we are sinners. It's sin that divides us. At the root cause of it all is the sinful, prideful heart of man and woman. For we are concerned about ourselves, when it boils down to it. We are spiritually blind, dead, and enemies of God on our own, doing nothing to merit God's worthiness or salvation in our lives. So, as we think about ourselves, concerned about our own selves, where is true unity and connectedness found? If it's not found within myself, where can I find that unity? Where can I find a community? A connectedness? Well, Paul tells us it's right here under our nose. It's found in the church. It's found in Jesus. Of course, that's the Sunday School answer: it's always Jesus. But we don't yawn at that answer, because Paul talks to us today as one who's been through it all. He knows what it's like to be distant and separated from that community of faith. He knows what it's like to be outside the family, to be hostile to the word of God, to be persecuted, to condone and to condemn God's people, and to condone the killing of God's people. Paul talks about being a part of the body, being found in that body. The body that is made up of many parts, but has one head: Jesus Christ. And so we ask ourselves, what does it mean to be a part of this body of Jesus who doesn't change? Well, our first president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, you may recall the name C.F.W. Walther. Go ahead, google a picture of Dr. Walter - it's not a flattering picture of him, but he is a very learned man. And Dr. Walther does tell us in his writings what it means to be a part of God's church. He says, there are two markers. Two markers to identify where the Church of God is found. It is found in the word of God rightly preached in the sacraments, rightly administered. Where do you have the church? Where we have Word and Sacrament Ministry. Now, they wrestled with this. When they came over from Saxony, Germany, what were they to do without a pastor? What were they do? Were they the church? They wrestled with this. What does it mean to be the church? Maybe, when a fallible church leader commits a sin and is ousted from the church. What does it mean to be the church, when an egregious moral failure takes place, when pastors leave, when pastors go? And we are the church. What does that mean? Well, Dr. Walther said, where the word is preached and the sacrements are ministered, there you have the marks of the church. And it is true. Here in your midst, you are the church. The Church of God here in Wisconsin Rapids, holding out the word of truth, carrying on Word and Sacrament Ministry. Yes, in the midst of a long vacancy, you are reminded of the words of Nehemiah: the joy of the Lord is your strength. Because this is His work, His ministry, His blessings given forward in the word and the sacraments taking place here. God, using the means of grace to create faith in the hearts and lives of people. Paul talks about this in Ephesians, chapter 4. He said there's one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope in your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all. Oneness. That's what God is. God is One: three persons, one God. And yet, God makes us one as well. The eye cannot say to the hand: I do not need you. And the head cannot say to the feet: I don't need you. Yes, the church is filled with pride. But thankfully, that's not the only thing the church is filled with. The church is filled with paradoxes. Tensions we live in. How can this be at the same time? Three persons, one God. God is man, yet God dies in a cross. Gathered in the church is both saint and sinner. The weak are made strong. The poor are rich. The rich are poor. Suffering is actually blessing. The first are last, and the last are first, As we live in this church, we know that God makes the spotless, holy church cleansed by His blood. She is a pillar. She is the one that God bestows on her all of His gifts. When we think about this church, we're living in a now, but not-yet reality. Now, we have the promises of God, but not fully yet are they realized until the day of our Lord's return. Why such division? Well, President Matthew Harrison, the current church president of our synod wrote an article in the Lutheran Witness, and he said these words. He said: she (the church) only appears in this world, hidden under the guise of poor sinners, flawed intentions, divisions and even false teaching. This is at once both disturbing and comforting. It is disturbing, because we find ourselves in such a spotted congregations, denominations and Christendom. It is comforting, because despite its outward appearance, despite the fact that there have been, at times in the history of the church, when the pure teaching of the Gospel all but disappeared from the public confession of the church and is practice, nevertheless the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The church endures because Christ endures. And He will never let His Gospel go unbelieved until the end of time. You should not overlook those words: the Gospel will prevail. That's the hope we have as God's church - the Gospel will continue to do its work, and it will prevail. Now, I don't know if you're familiar with the old game, if in your boredom, you might have played this. Rock, Paper, Scissors. Or Scissors, Paper, Rock. Rock, Paper, Scissors. As we think about that succession, you know, paper covers rock, rock crushes scissors, scissors cuts paper, but what takes down the gates? If there were gates, what would undo the work of the gate? Well, the gates of hell will not prevail against the rock of Jesus and His word. It looks pretty nasty out there. It looks like the church is losing the battle. It looks like the congregation is at the brink. But what is the hope? It's the rock. The rock that we are built on as the Church of God in Christ Jesus. The gates shall not overcome the rock of Jesus and His word. And so may that encourage you, as you go forth this day, knowing that you are connected to that rock. He is your Head, your life is built on that rock, and nothing could take that away from you. You are a part of this body of Christ. This wonderful, blessed body of saints. Not only here locally, not only in Stevens Point, connected with the believers there, but you're connected to Christians through all time and space. You're connected to Christians in China and Malaysia and Africa. You're connect to Christians in Michigan and Detroit and California. You're connected to people you've never seen or met before. Over all walks of life, and through time and space. And I pray that encourages you. One of the great joys of the Youth Gathering, formerly the National Youth Gathering, but the Youth Gathering - which I hope your congregation can send a group of youth - one of the great things about going to that Gathering, is that you get to see high schoolers of your same era and age, and you get to see them gathered in one place from all over the world. And that, dear friends, is a remarkable picture, not only of heaven, but also of the church. That we are connected such a big body of believers. And that is an encouraging thing to know we are not alone in our belief, that we are part of His body. So what do we do? Where do we go? How do we live now that we know we are part of His body? Well, maybe you're a voice. You can lift up that voice and beautiful song to God, whether it's in a choir or here at church. Or maybe you're not a voice, but you're a hand. And you can roll up your sleeves and get involved in the work of his church in such a way. Maybe you could shovel your neighbor's sidewalk here, this afternoon. Maybe you're not a hand, but you're a shoulder. You can allow someone to grieve and cry on that shoulder. Maybe you're a helping hand, and you could knit blankets for those in need, or dresses for those to go overseas. Maybe you're that shoulder that you could serve a meal to someone who's going through a tough time. No matter where it is that God has blessed you, you are a member of the body of Christ. So I die, He lives. And as Paul said, He lives in you, and you are His church. May He live in you every day, through all the ages. And to Him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen. And now, may that peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds, and make us new creations in Christ Jesus, this day and always. Amen.